Rags to Riches
by Ezlyphe
Summary: When young Akimoto Minori's mother passes away, she has no choice but to live with the father she doesn't know.
1. The End

**Disclaimer:****All fictional characters that make an appearance or are mentioned in this story do not belong to me. They belong to ****Bisco Hatori. I only own my OCs. You'll recognize them when you see 'em; they're the ones who never show up in any official OHSHC media.**

…

_**1. The End of One Life and the Beginning of Another**_

It was a quiet May night. Silence, along with the chilly spring air covered the Akimoto estate. Inside his office sat the owner of the estate: Akimoto Katsuro. He was a handsome man in his early 50's. His jet black hair was streaked with grey, although it gave him an air of distinguished charm, rather than making him look old. Dark brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. It was just as still and quiet inside his office as it was outside, with the only thing breaking the silence was the faint 'tap-tapping' of his fingers as he typed on his laptop.

To say Katsuro was a businessman would be a little more than an understatement. He was the owner and founder of Akimoto Airlines. Because he was a man who had no qualms about walking over people to get what he wanted, Katsuro managed to build his company up to be one of the top airlines in Japan.

So deep in concentration, it took Katsuro a while to notice that his phone was ringing. He looked at his watch, then down at the machine, confused. There were very few people who had the number to his private line. And he couldn't think of a reason for any of them to be calling him so late. He picked it up.

"Hello?"

After a few seconds of silence he spoke again, surprise apparent in his voice.

"Takara? Why are you calling so late?"

A few more seconds passed.

"WHAT?" he suddenly yelled. "She's dead?! …A-are you sure?"

"_Of course I am, idiot!_" came the very angry voice of an elderly female.

It took a while for Katsuro to find the words to say. "So about Minori…?" he finally asked, although he already knew the answer.

"_Our agreement still stands, I presume. We knew this day would come. If Rin were to die, you would have to take in Minori and raise her until she is off-age_," the old woman replied. Her voice was low and flat. "_But that wouldn't be for long. She turned seventeen last month_."

"I know," he replied, thinking back to the bracelet he sent her as a recent birthday present just a few weeks ago. "I'll be there to pick her up. When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, after the funeral."

_After the funeral._ It couldn't be clearer that he wasn't expected to make an appearance before he was needed. "Okay. I'll be there," he said, then hung up.

* * *

Handa Takara placed the phone on its receiver and turned to look at her granddaughter, Minori, who was lying on her bed. She was facing the nearby wall, curled up into a ball and hugging her pillow. Her dark grey eyes stared blankly at nothing in particular; she barely blinked and moved even less.

"Minori," Takara said, getting up and walking over to her granddaughter. No response. She called her name again, this time placing a hand on Minori's shoulder.

"I'm not going," the young girl suddenly stated.

Takara let out a sigh. "We've talked about this already. There's no other alternative."

"There is," Minori replied stubbornly. "Why can't he just give us the money? He has enough of it…"

Takara shook her head. "No, it isn't my money to take. You're his daughter and-"

"Am I?" Minori interjected, suddenly sitting up. "He wasn't thinking of me as his _daughter_ when he walked out on my mother while she was pregnant! He wasn't thinking of me as his daughter when he married that….that…"

Minori couldn't think of a name to call her father's wife that would be appropriate in front of her grandmother so she let out a frustrated sigh instead.

Takara opened her mouth to say something but couldn't find the words. So she just kept quiet and stared at her granddaughter. For the past couple of days Minori resembled nothing of the happy child she helped raise. Her skin was much paler. Her black hair was a knotted mess. Her eyes were puffy and red and her cheeks tear-stained.

"I don't want to lose you," Minori mumbled, trying to hold back tears but failing miserably. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly have any more tears to cry.

"And you won't," Takara reassured, putting her arms around Minori in a comforting embrace. "You know you're welcome to visit any time you like and I will try to visit you whenever I can."

Minori stayed silent. She didn't want to say it but that wasn't good enough for her.

"It's time for bed," Takara finally said, standing up. "Sleep. You'll need your rest. We have a… busy day ahead of us."

Once her grandmother left Minori rolled over and cried herself into a restless, nightmare-filled sleep.

* * *

The following day went by in a flash for Minori. The funeral was quick and the wake was even quicker. In her mind it all felt so surreal. Almost like a terrible dream she couldn't wake out of, no matter how many time she pinched herself. So she spent most of the day in a zombie-like state. To her surprise she couldn't even cry, which earned her a few less-than-comforting side glances and mutters during the ceremonial. And before she knew it, she was sitting outside of her grandmother's house, all of her belongings packed as she waited on her father.

In her heart, she began to hope that he would decide to not show up. And she soon began to plan how to make money to support her and her grandmother. '_I could get a part-time job and maybe drop out of school and go to night classes instead.'_ But her thoughts were interrupted and her hopes dashed once she heard the unmistakeable sound of a car pulling up into the yard.

The driver stepped out of the luxurious black limousine and walked around to open the door for her father. He stepped out and Minori couldn't help but tense and glare at the man she shared half of her DNA with. He made his way towards the house but Minori didn't get up nor did she greet him. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge his presence. At that moment, Takara opened the door and joined them outside.

"Hn, so you showed up," she said, raising her eyebrows.

"I did promise…" Katsuro said, trailing off. He was becoming more and more nervous under the elderly woman's hard stare.

"You never were one to keep promises," Takara scoffed, turning to her granddaughter who finally stood up once she realised it would be pointless to fight at this point. "Remember what I told you."

Minori nodded solemnly and gave her grandmother one final hug.

"Ready to go?" Katsuro asked, holding out his hand to take her bag.

Minori glowered up at her father, tightened her grip on her bag and walked briskly towards the car. The driver opened the door and she got in, sliding as far as she could to the other side. She wanted to get as much distance between her and her father as possible. The limo backed out of the driveway and drove off; leaving behind everything Minori knew and loved.

The ride was quiet. The driver was silent, Katsuro was silent and Minori sure wasn't going to say anything. Katsuro was the first to speak.

"So…" he started awkwardly. Minori continued to stare out of the window, her chin resting in her palm. "Are you feeling okay?"

Nothing.

He assumed it wouldn't bring about positive results to try to console her.

"How's school?" he asked, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine."

"Good, good. Ah, speaking of, you go to a public school, right?"

She glanced at him through the corner of her eye. "Well, I can't afford to go to a _private _school…" she replied icily.

"Ha, right, of course. You can now, though. I enrolled you into one of the finest schools in the country. Ouran Academy."

"Hm, that's nice."

Katsuro gave up trying to make conversation and continued the ride in silence until they reached the estate.

Even in her foul mood Minori gasped when she saw where she was to live for the next few years. It was huge and absolutely beautiful; an Old Victorian style mansion, a charming off-white in colour.

'_There will be only three people living here. Who would possibly need this much space?_' Minori thought to herself as she was lead into the front yard. As she passed the garden, she couldn't help but stop and stare. It was probably the most breathtakingly beautiful scene she had ever laid eyes upon. Brightly coloured flowers and plants as far as the eye could see; each one more beautiful than the next. There was even a quaint little swing and gazebo – the kind she only saw in the romance movies her grandmother loved so much.

Minori and her mother had always talked about growing their own garden once Rin's disease was cured and she was let out of the hospital. She always had a thing for flowers. Minori's heart ached a little at the realization that she never saw her dream come true. But she pushed the memories into the back of her mind and continued after Katsuro, into her new home. Now probably wasn't the best time to burst into tears.

She was immediately greeted with a large group of people who were wearing the same type of servant uniform.

"Welcome, Minori-san," They all greeted in unison.

'_Is this his way of trying to impress me…?'_ Minori thought, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

* * *

Minori set her bag down onto her new bed in her new room. As much as she hated to, she had to admit. She was impressed. It was as nice as it was big. Probably ten times bigger than her room back at her old home.

She walked around the room, inspecting everything, from the soft, pale yellow linen sheets of her bed to her new closet (and even that seemed bigger than her old room). She put her clothes in but felt a little embarrassed when she noticed the stark contrast between her new extravagant walk-in-closet and her old, not-so-extravagant jumpers, tee-shirts and jeans. The last thing she unpacked was the only picture she had of her mother. It was taken before she fell ill so in it she looked happy and healthy. The photograph was in a cheap plastic frame Minori bought with her meagre allowance but she handled it as if it were the most precious diamond on earth and set it gently on the nightstand beside her bed.

"Just for two more years," she kept chanting as she busied herself putting the last finishing touches on the personalization of her room. It was all she could do to not rip her hair out in frustration. The only thing she wanted to do was pack up her stuff and move back into her old home, go back to her old life.

There was a knock on the door that pulled Minori out of her thoughts. She looked up to see someone opening the door. It was a mousy looking woman with light brown hair and eyes. She was dressed in a maid's outfit.

"You are requested for dinner, Minori-san," she said, smiling and bowing politely.

Minori didn't know if she would ever get used to being called '-san' but followed the maid out of her room and into the dining room. There, her father and another woman were sitting at the needlessly long dinner table.

"There you are," Katsuro said, standing up and turning to the woman beside him. "Etsu, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Minori."

The pretty blonde gave Minori a wide smile showing off straight, white teeth. "Oh! She is just adorable, Darling. She looks just like you!"

Minori flinched not only at hearing that she looked "just like" her father but also at his ridiculous nickname.

"But we will have to get her an entirely new wardrobe. Those rags will never do," Etsu pouted, her perfectly plucked eyebrows scrunched together as she looked Minori over.

'_R-rags?!'_


	2. School Daze

**Disclaimer:****All fictional characters that make an appearance or are mentioned in this story do not belong to me. They belong to ****Bisco Hatori. I only own my OCs. You'll recognize them when you see 'em; they're the ones who never show up in any official OHSHC media.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews!**

…

_**2. School Daze**_

The early morning sun shone through the silk curtains as Minori lay wide awake in bed. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink last night. Everything had happened so quickly and her thoughts on the matter kept her up. Over the course of just a few days she had lost her mother, limited contact with her grandmother, and was now living in a place she couldn't afford even in her dreams.

Also, meeting with her father's wife was a less than pleasurable experience. Not once did that wretched woman stop yapping in that annoyingly high-pitched voice of hers. And the way she clung to Katsuro's arm during the entire dinner made Minroi's blood boil, although she kept it hidden under a pretty decent poker face. The teenager scoffed at the memory and rolled over, pulling the covers all the way up over her head. But before she could even attempt to fall asleep, someone was knocking on her door.

"Come in," Minori grumbled, not bothering to get up.

The door was practically kicked open and a cheery voice sung, "Good morning, Minori-chan~!"

Minori's right eye twitched and she bolted up to glare at Etsu, who had taken the liberty of opening all of her curtains. "Don't call me that…" she ground out through clenched teeth. "What are doing in here?"

"Getting you up for school, silly!"

"What? No. I don't have books or a uniform or anything. I just arrived yesterday! How could I be going to school when I'm so unprepared?"

"Your father already purchased all of your books and your uniform. He didn't want you to see them yet; he thought they would make a nice welcome present. Darling is so thoughtful," she said with a dreamy sigh.

'_Yes, remind me to thank _Darling_ for that._'

Minori frowned and folded her arms across her chest. It looked like her plans to lie in bed all day and sulk were ruined. "Fine," Minori huffed. She turned a reproachful eye to the older woman. "Get out."

Etsu didn't seem to be fazed by Minori's rudeness and waltzed out of the room, humming a cheery tune.

Silently fuming at being confronted by the last person on earth she wanted to see, Minori got ready. When she was finished with her shower, she noticed arranged on her bed were a pale yellow dress, white stockings and a pair of black Mary-Janes.

"_This_ is my uniform…?" Minori said, holding the puffy garment away at arm's length. It certainly wasn't something she would consider her style, or anyone's style for that matter. But she put it on anyway; she was never one to break school dress code. Even one as ridiculous as this.

Minori stared ruefully at her reflection in the vanity mirror; she had been neglecting her hair for weeks and it showed. But she did her best to make it – at the very least – presentable. Her skin was starting to regain some of its natural colour. Although her eyes still looked tired and had dark-circles under them. An entire night without sleep would do that to a person.

The mousy-looking maid from last night, Aika, came in to escort Minori.

"Where's Katsuro?" Minori asked, once they were outside.

"Your father had a meeting he had to attend so he left earlier," Aika replied, handing her a brown leather school bag.

'_Of course he wouldn't be here to see me off on my first day…_' Minori thought irritably as she sulked towards the limousine. She wanted to kick herself for even entertaining the thought. After all, he was never there before, so she wasn't sure why she thought he would be there now. The drive to her new school was quiet. Just like the previous drive to her new abode. Minori had been so busy being cross at having to share a confined space with Katsuro that she didn't have time to realize (and enjoy) the fact that it was her first ride in a limousine.

At last, they reached the school and Minori stared up at the group of large buildings in awe. The grand structure in front of her would make her old school look like a hovel in comparison. It was a few minutes until the bell rang for the start of lessons yet the school yard was littered with students.

Minori was beginning to get nervous and she was tempted to ask the driver to drop her back home. But by then he already had the door opened. With a slow, deliberate breath to calm her rapidly beating heart, she stepped out. As she watched the limo drive off she couldn't stop the wave of uneasiness that washed over her. But she turned and slowly made her way towards what she hoped was the main building, where she would find the Student Office.

As she walked along the halls of the school, she stared in amazement at the sheer elegance of the place. The walls were covered in fine art, the likes of which Minori had never seen. The carpet was soft and plush under her feet and no doubt expensive. Why, the ceiling even had chandeliers!

"Good Morning, Akimoto-san," The receptionist behind the desk greeted when Minori opened the door to the office. "We were expecting you. Here's your schedule and directions to your homeroom; as well as a map of the school," She handed Minori a few sheets of paper.

"Thanks," Minori said, leaving. '_Well, that wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be…_' She thought to herself as she read off her schedule. English, Mathematics, Modern Literature, Japanese, Biology, History, Chemistry.

"Ah, such fancy subjects… Do I even need half of these?" She said aloud with a sigh, putting the papers into her book bag. "So troublesome." She followed the map to what would be her new home-room.

She read off the sign that hung over the door. "Grade 11, Class B."

She stood in front of the closed door for a few seconds and every second brought on more feelings of apprehension. "Maybe I should start school tomorrow, or next week… or next month... ha-ha...ha," she said turning around, with a few sweat-drops forming on her forehead. At that moment the door swung open and Minori froze.

"There you are. We were waiting for you."

Minori cursed her horrible timing and turned to face the person who spoke. She was a tall woman with auburn hair tied up in a professional bun. She took Minori by her stiffened shoulders and led her in. They walked to the front and the room immediately fell silent. All eyes were on them. Minori could feel her face heating up and her heart pounding against her ribcage.

"Class, this is Akimoto Minori. She is a new student who will be joining us today for the rest of the year. Please make her feel welcomed." The teacher smiled down at Minori, who returned it with a flustered gaze. "I'm Miss Yamada. You can take a seat anywhere you'd like."

Minori quickly scanned the room under lowered lids and found an empty desk close to the back of the room. She made a beeline for it, sat down (nearly knocking the chair over in her haste) and started intently at her desk for the remainder of homeroom.

* * *

Later that day during lunchtime Minori was in her homeroom talking with Miss Yamada. They were discussing her grades and how she would catch up with the year of work she missed at Ouran.

"Because you are new here and just to make sure you don't fall too far behind, I have arranged for you a personal tutor to give you help when you need it. This is Fujioka Haruhi. He's one of our top students and can help you to understand the grade ten work."

Minori glanced over at the boy standing next to her. He had large brown eyes, short brown hair and an unnaturally pretty face.

'_Great, my first day and I already have to be tutored. By someone a whole year below me too...how embarrassing. Although, I guess falling asleep in History wasn't the best way to show off my academic prowess._'

The boy named Haruhi gave her a smile and offered a hand for Minori to shake.

"It's nice to meet you."

Minori had to remind herself to breathe as a faint blush crossed her cheeks. "Y-you too."

* * *

After school, Minori stared at the large oak doors before her. The sign above it read _Third Music Room_.

"Haruhi told me to get him if he was late for our tutoring session," Minori mumbled to herself, as she put her hand on the doorknob. "I hope I've got the right room…"


	3. Meet the Hosts

**Disclaimer:****All fictional characters that make an appearance or are mentioned in this story do not belong to me. They belong to ****Bisco Hatori. I only own my OCs. You'll recognize them when you see 'em; they're the ones who never show up in any official OHSHC media.**

**Thanks everyone for the reviews. (: I really appreciate them. They keep me motivated.**

…

_**3. Meet the Hosts**_

Minori slowly opened the door to the music room and peaked inside. A group of six extremely good-looking boys stopped what they were doing to look at her as she walked in. Minori quickly scanned the room for Haruhi but he was nowhere to be found.

"Sorry!" she squeaked, thoroughly embarrassed under the many gazes. But before she could retreat back into the hall, a tall blonde-haired boy approached her and – putting a finger under her chin – gently lifted her face towards his.

"I apologize, Princess but we're closing now," he said, leaning forward so that his face was mere inches from her own. "But if you come back tomorrow, I'll be waiting. And I can devote all of my time to you."

Minori blinked. "Uh…."

She was at a complete loss for words. Did she have the right room? Who were these people? Who was this boy? And why did he feel it necessary to invade her personal space? Answers to these questions couldn't be found so she simply stared dumbfounded as the colour in her face intensified.

"She's not a customer, Senpai."

Haruhi stepped out from behind the curtain of a changing room and walked over to them. "I told her to meet me here. She's new and I'm tutoring her."

"What?! Haruhi, you made a new friend and didn't tell Daddy?!" the blonde boy nearly screamed, holding on to Haruhi's shoulders and shaking him slightly. "When did you become so distant? You used to tell me everything!" He looked just about ready to cry.

"That's not true…" Haruhi muttered, looking away from him with a twitching eyebrow. "Stop exaggerating…"

Minori tilted her head to the side while her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. '_…Daddy?_'

The blonde whipped around to face a bespectacled dark-haired boy, tears now freely streaming down his face. "Mommy, Haruhi is being cold again!"

"I think it's time to go…" Haruhi groaned, walking away.

Minori nodded in agreement – this scene was starting to get a little weird – and followed Haruhi towards the door. But the blonde boy hurriedly stepped in front of the pair, blocking the exit. He stared at Haruhi expectantly with large violet eyes.

"What?" Haruhi asked irritably after a few seconds of the blonde's unwavering gaze.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your new friend?"

Haruhi opened his mouth to protest but gave it a second thought and let out a defeated sigh. Maybe asking Minori to come to the music room wasn't such a good idea.

"Everyone," he started, turning back to the group of boys. "This is Minori."

Minori raised her hand in greeting, her face still a little flushed.

"That's Tamaki."

The tall blonde gave Minori a charming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Haruhi pointed to a pair of auburn-haired twins. "Hikaru and Kaoru."

They both waved and gave her identically mischievous grins.

"Kyoya."

'Mommy' looked up from his laptop and offered a polite "hello".

"Mori and Honey."

The much taller boy with spiky black hair simply nodded while the short blonde excitedly ran up to her.

"Would you like to have some cake, Nori-chan?" he asked in a childish voice, tugging at her dress. He then held up the stuffed pink bunny he was cuddling. "And then you can play with Usa-chan!"

Minori gazed at the boy standing in front of her. He had to be the cutest living thing she had ever set eyes on and Minori was tempted to just reach out pinch his chubby little cheeks. She could have sworn she saw little pink flowers dancing around his face. Although in the back of her mind she wondered why a grade-schooler was wearing the senior's uniform.

"So you're new here," said Hikaru, snapping Minori out of her momentary daze.

She looked up to see the twins standing on either side of her. '_How'd they move so quickly?_'

He continued. "Which school did you go to?"

"Shizouka High School."

Kaoru gave her a confused look. "Isn't that a public school?"

"Yeah," Minori said, after a few seconds of hesitation. Though the upward inflection at the end made it sound more like a question than a statement.

Tamaki scratched his chin in thought. "Hm. Are you a scholarship student like Haruhi?"

"If she were a scholarship student she wouldn't need tutoring," Hikaru and Kaoru replied simultaneously.

"So why were you going to a public school?" Honey asked, now sitting on top of Mori's shoulders.

"Um, well I…" Minori started. But she wasn't sure what to tell them. If she told them why she went to a public school before coming to one of the most expensive private schools in Japan, then she would have to tell them the situation with her father. And she wasn't about to tell her life story to a group of strangers.

Just then, Kyoya spoke up. "Your name is Akimoto, right? Would your father by any chance be Akimoto Katsuro?"

"Uh-huh," Minori replied, wringing her hands nervously.

"I didn't know he had a daughter…" Kyoya said, raising an eyebrow. The moment Minori was introduced Kyoya had started searching for any information he could find on the girl, being Kyoya and all. But not much came up other than her birth certificate and files from her old school. And neither of those indicated she was the daughter of the airline tycoon.

Everyone stared at Minori. There were very few things in this world that Kyoya didn't know or couldn't find out about.

Minori became even more nervous as she tried to think of something to say. She cleared her throat as small beads of sweat appeared on her face. "I'm not - I mean, I am. Well, I'm…um…"

Haruhi noticed the girl's growing uneasiness and quickly intervened. "We should go, or we won't have much time for studying." He took her hand and led her out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Well that was weird," Hikaru commented a few seconds later. "There's a new student and she seems pretty secretive. We don't usually get new students this time of the year."

"Yeah," Kaoru replied, turning to his twin. "It's like we're in a bad fanfic or something."

* * *

Later, after tutoring with Haruhi was over, Minori was sitting in the back of the limousine that dropped her off at school. She has still thinking about the group of boys she met in the music room.

'_Odd bunch, aren't they?_' she thought, thinking back to Tamaki calling himself 'daddy' and addressing Kyoya as 'mommy'. At the thought of the eccentric blonde and the memory of how close he had gotten, Minori couldn't help but blush. She'd never had anyone come that physically close to her. Especially a boy. Especially one so attractive.

For a second, in her state of absentmindedness, she was expecting to pull up in front of her grandmother's house but was disappointed when instead the mansion came into view.

With a heavy sigh she got out.

On her way to her room Minori was met with the sight of Katsuro and Etsu locked in an intimate embrace. He was whispering something in her ear that made her giggle and hit his shoulder playfully.

Minori's anger hit the roof. So he didn't have enough time to see her off on her first day at Ouran (or any day since then) but apparently had more than enough time for his precious trophy wife.

Minori cleared her throat loudly, which snapped the two lovebirds out of their reverie. Katsuro quickly slipped his arms away from Etsu's waist and walked over to a glowering Minori.

"H-How was school?" he asked nervously, beads of sweat already dotting his forehead.

Without answering him, Minori walked briskly past them, her nose up in the air and her eyes closed tightly in aggravation. Once she reached her room a couple feet away, she opened and slammed the door with such force that it shook the framed pictures off of nearby walls.

* * *

The next morning Minori woke up, got ready and went to school.

She promised herself she would stay clear of the Third Music Room, tried to convince herself that it was a little too odd for her tastes. But curiosity had gotten the better of her. Haruhi had mentioned something about customers yesterday, which stirred Minori's curiosity even more. So she opened the door and went inside.

It looked different.

Instead of seeing an empty music room, Minori found herself staring at a room full of giggling girls – a few she recognized from her homeroom. They were all sitting in expensive-looking chairs around expensive-looking tables with expensive-looking China teacups and teapots. The boys from yesterday were scattered around the room with random groups of girls, who seemed to be keenly listening to whatever it was they were saying.

With a shrug, thinking that she made a wrong turn and entered the wrong room, Minori turned and was about to leave when she felt two pairs of hands grab hold of her shoulders and spin her around. She suddenly found herself wedged between two bodies with arms thrown casually over her shoulders. She looked up to see the twins grinning down at her.

"Ah! Minori-chan, we were wondering if we were going to see you today!" said Hikaru. Or was it Kaoru?

"You weren't about to sneak off without saying 'hello', were you?" the other twin continued; his Cheshire grin widening.

Before Minori could respond, Haruhi walked in carrying a small bag of groceries.

"What did I tell you two about harassing the customers?" he asked, his eyes trailing towards Minori. "Minori-chan? What're you doing here? Our session isn't until tomorrow."

"I know but I guess I just got …lost?" she lied.

"You can let go of her now," Haruhi said to the twins who waltzed back to the group of girls they were previously entertaining. "Sorry about that."

"It's ok," Minori said, looking around. "What is this place, anyway?" They were in a music room, but this was obviously not a music class. There wasn't an instrument in sight.

"It's the host club."

Minori turned back to Haruhi with a slightly freaked look on her face. "H-host club?!"

This was certainly going to be an interesting year.


	4. Secrets Revealed

**Disclaimer:****All fictional characters that make an appearance or are mentioned in this story do not belong to me. They belong to ****Bisco Hatori. I only own my OCs. You'll recognize them when you see 'em; they're the ones who never show up in any official OHSHC media.**

**Okay, it's been a loooong time since I last updated. That's partially out of lack of motivation and entirely out of laziness. I have also decided to make a few minor and major changes to the first 3 chapters of the story, so if you've read the previous chapters already, you might want to re-read them or the story from now on won't make much sense.**

…

_**4. Secrets Revealed**_

"Oh! No, it's not what you think," Haruhi said with a nervous chuckle.

But Minori was still unsure and it showed by her unconvinced look. Tamaki noticed Haruhi with her and walked over to them. He was just in time to hear Haruhi attempt to explain the host club to Minori – and failing miserably.

"Well, Princess. Ouran Host Club exists in order to bring happiness to girls," he offered, putting an arm around Minori's shoulders. "Those with high social standing and money spend their time here. The Host Club is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain and charm girls, who also have too much time on their hands. It's the school's own personal, elegant playground for the super-rich."

He finished his speech with a dramatic flip of his hair and gave Minori a charming smile.

"Um, thanks," Minori said. Her face was a light shade of pink and her brow was furrowed. "That clears things up. I think."

* * *

The next day, after her last class ended, Minori found herself standing in front of the doors that led to the Third Music Room. '_How do I keep ending up here? I must be drawn,_' she mused to herself as she quietly opened the door. She opened it a crack and peaked inside. She wasn't sure what to expect and she didn't want to disturb anyone or be caught sneaking around.

The club was closed and the room free of any girls. The hosts were packing away various items. Most of the tables and chairs were also gone. Hikaru and Kaoru were chatting to each other while they moved various teapots and teacups into boxes. Mori was moving already packed boxes into the back room, while Honey was happily sitting at a small table eating a very large piece of strawberry cake with Usa-chan in tow. Kyoya was busy writing in a little black book.

Haruhi was standing in front of Tamaki; an angry look on his face as he reprimanded the blonde for whatever it was he had done. But this obviously didn't affect Tamaki in the slightest; his reaction was the exact opposite of someone who had just been scolded.

"Oh, my precious daughter!" Tamaki cried out, suddenly grabbing Haruhi and pulling him into a tight hug. "You are too cute when you're angry!"

"Senpai!" Haruhi's muffled voice exclaimed. "Stop that; I can't breathe!"

Minori opened the door wider and the noise it made caused everyone to stop. The room fell silent.

"Haruhi," Minori said, stepping from behind the door. "You're… you're a girl?"

Tamaki immediately let go of Haruhi and rushed over to Minori, looking as though the world had just ended. Or his world at least. "Haruhi!? A girl?!" He began waving his hands around nervously as a large sweat drop appeared on the back of his head. "W-whoever said Haruhi is a girl?"

"You did."

Tamaki froze. "I… I …have no idea what you're talking about." The sweat drop grew bigger.

Minori raised an eyebrow. "But you just called him…er, her…your daughter."

This time the twins went over to Minori. Hikaru pinched her cheek teasingly while Kaoru patted the top of her head. They both spoke in unison. "Minori-chan, where do you come up with such ridiculous things?"

It was obvious the three were trying to convince her that she didn't hear what she just heard. "But…"

"It's ok," Haruhi said, causing everyone to look up at her. "If she knows, then there's not much we can do about it."

Suddenly Minori walked over to Haruhi, took her face in her hands and stared closely at the brunette with a focused expression. '_It's true. Now that I can really take a good look it is pretty obvious Haruhi is a girl. But how did I not see it before?! Wait. I had a crush on a girl? What does that say about me?! I've always thought of my sexual preference as pretty straightforward and there was never any confusion before!_' As the thought crossed Minori's mind, her face began to flush.

At the end of her inner monologue, Minori let go of Haruhi, her expression blank, while Haruhi's was thoroughly confused. '_It's because she's dressed as a boy…_' Minori reasoned with a curt nod and left it at that. "So how did a girl end up working for a host club?"

"On my first day at this school, I broke an expensive vase that belonged to the Host Club. I've been working here ever since to pay off my debt."

"You would understand why it would be in the club's best interest to keep Haruhi's true gender a secret," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "We wouldn't want Haruhi's secret to leak because of anything you might say. That would be very unfortunate, wouldn't it?" He gave her a courteous smile.

Minori gulped. That terrifyingly calm smile sent chills down her spine. She wasn't stupid; she understood the vague but unmistakable threat in his voice.

Honey peered up at Minori with wide eyes. "You won't tell anyone, will you Nori-chan?"

"I wouldn't tell a soul. Promise."

* * *

The following day during lunchtime, Minori and Haruhi were sitting at an empty table in the Third Music Room. Haruhi had suggested they studied somewhere else but Minori insisted that they stay in the music room that was used for the host club's activities.

"There's nowhere else to study and the libraries are usually so crowded. I don't know why, but this room has a calming effect and helps me to concentrate" was the lie she fed Haruhi. Really, she just wanted an excuse to be in the music room once the club was opened after lunch. She found the Host Club interesting, to say the least. And she considered it to be a treat to be able to observe them doing what they do.

"They're all correct," Haruhi said with a smile as she looked over the math problems she had set for Minori to practice. "I'll give you a few more, just to be sure you understand."

Haruhi placed the exercise book back in front of Minori, who picked up her pencil and began to work on them. Somewhere on the other side of the room, the rest of the hosts were sitting on a few sofas.

"So, they're studying in here." Hikaru noted, glancing back at the two girls.

His twin spoke. "I wonder why?" Though this question wasn't really directed at anyone to answer; just semi-silent musings. "And why do you look so sullen, Tono? I thought you _wanted_ Haruhi to spend more time with other girls."

"Sure, they're spending a lot of time together…" Tamaki replied miserably, slouching in his seat. "But they mostly just study. No giggling, no fixing each other's hair. HARUHI WILL NEVER START WEARING DRESSES AT THIS RATE!" ("I can hear you, Senpai!")

"You know, we never got to find out why Nori-chan went to a public school," Honey said over Usa-chan's head from his spot next to Mori. Because his feet couldn't reach the floor, he swung them idly back and forth.

At Honey's comment, the twins gave each other a devious grin and slid out of their seats. They quickly moved over to where Minori and Haruhi were.

"Hi, Minori-chan!" they greeted simultaneously, appearing directly behind the girl.

Minori turned to them and eyed their smiles suspiciously. For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt she couldn't trust those grins.

"We know you're busy right now…"

"…but why don't you take a break and play a little game with us?"

"A game?" Minori blinked, slightly curious now. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Haruhi shaking her head. "What kind of game?"

"The 'Which one is Hikaru?' game!" they announced in perfect unison.

"If you win, you can get anything you like from the club's merchandise," Hikaru said. "Free of charge."

"And if I lose?"

"You have to answer a question." Kaoru replied.

Not seeing the harm, Minori said "Sure. I'll play."

The twins smirked and pulled out matching dark green newsboy hats, placing them over their hair. To make matters even more complicated, they twirled around each other so that Minori couldn't remember who was standing where.

"I don't think I want to play anymore…"

"Uh, uh, uh," they chided, waving a finger in front of her face. "There's no backing out now."

"Okay…" Minori looked between the two, trying to find even the subtlest difference in their infuriatingly identical faces. But everything was exactly the same; from their perfectly smooth skin, to their long, straight noses, right down to their glinting topaz eyes.

She already knew she had lost when she randomly pointed at one them.

They laughed and made a buzzing noise, like the ones you would hear on game shows when a contestant answered a question incorrectly.

"Alright, I lost. What's your question?"

"What was it we were going to ask, Kaoru?"

"I can't seem to remember, Hikaru. Oh, that's right…"

"Why were you going to a public school?" They asked simultaneously.

"Isn't there something else you'd rather know? My favourite colour? My dreams and ambitions …My shoe size?"

"Nope."

"And you're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, huh?"

"Nope!"

Minori took a deep breath. "I used to live a middle-class life with my mother before she uh, passed away a few days ago but now I'm living with my… with Katsuro and his wife."

All of the hosts were now standing around the table. They heard everything.

"You lost your mother?" Tamaki sniffed; his eyes moist with tears. "I am so sorry to hear that."

"Uh, yeah…" Minori mumbled, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She could feel tears pricking the corners of her eyes and she fought to keep them from falling.

"I think we should stop here," Haruhi said, closing the textbook in front of her.

Minori agreed, getting up and packing her things. Without looking up, she quietly excused herself and hurried out of the room.

Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other.

"We probably shouldn't have done that…" Kaoru said, looking a little uncomfortable.

"What. And deprive the readers of plot movement?"


	5. Comfort

**Disclaimer:****All fictional characters that make an appearance or are mentioned in this story do not belong to me. They belong to ****Bisco Hatori. I only own my OCs. You'll recognize them when you see 'em; they're the ones who never show up in any official OHSHC media.**

**Reviews, favourites, PMs. You know I love them.**

…

_**5. Comfort**_

Why didn't she lie?

Why didn't she make up some outlandish tale about public school being punishment for a juvenile crime she had committed in the past? Naively Minori had the notion that after this much time she would no longer feel the stabbing pain in her chest that left behind a dull aching every time she so much as thought about her mother. But the pain was all still there, as fresh as the day she first learned of Rin's passing.

Minori spent the rest of the school day staring at either her desk or the floor, staying as quiet as a church mouse and only answering with words when she absolutely had to. And even then they were muttered; barely audible and incoherent. She was just wishing the day would end so that she could go home …or as close to a "home" as she had at the moment.

When Minori finally reached the mansion she wasted no time and headed straight for her room. On her way there in the hallway of the west wing Katsuro was walking along.

"Oh Minori, I'm glad I caught you. I-"

Minori brushed right past him, angrily wiping her eyes. He was probably the very last person she wanted to talk to.

Katsuro moved to follow her but stopped when he heard the familiar ring of his cell phone. He flipped it open and listened to the man on the other end of the line before quickly responding with "Cancel the meeting. There's something I have to take care of." He hung up, not waiting for a response.

As soon as Minori reached the comfort of her room she kicked off her shoes and jumped into bed, not bothering to change out of her uniform. She lay underneath the covers, trying her hardest to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. But when she felt the first salty tear hit her cheek, she openly sobbed. A few seconds later, there was a hesitant knock on the door.

Minori closed her eyes tightly and kept quiet. Maybe if he didn't respond, he would go away.

"Minori?" Katsuro opened the door and peaked inside. "Minori? Are you alright?" He cautiously walked into the room.

So much for that idea…

Minori didn't answer; instead she continued to cry, hiccupping every now and then. Her body tensed when she felt the side of the bed sink where her father sat down. Minori willed the tears to stop.

"What's wrong?"

Minori was finally able to stop crying long enough to compose herself. She slowly sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and Katsuro was surprised to see a picture frame cradled in her arms. He was even more surprised to see that the frame held a picture of Rin. They both sat silently and stared at the photograph of the deceased woman.

"I miss her…" Minori sniffed, tracing a finger over the photo.

"I do too."

As soon as those words left Katsuro's mouth he regretted them. Minori's head snapped up and she gave him a watery glare.

He nearly jumped back. "W-what I meant was…" Katsuro stopped and sighed, running a hand through his immaculately groomed hair. "Do you know? Well, of course you _know_. But do you know the …whole story?"

Minori knew only as much as her grandmother would tell. And even after she grew to an age where she would be able to fully understand, Takara would not disclose the full details of the events that transpired between her parents. And Minori never asked her mother; not after seeing the look of dejection on her face at the mere mention of Katsuro's name.

Minori slowly shook her head.

"We met when she was studying at university, on a scholarship I believe."

* * *

_A young woman of twenty was sitting alone at a café's outside table with a particularly large textbook opened in front of her. Even though it was a Sunday afternoon Rin was studying, albeit not as hard as she usually does but most of her friends wouldn't glance at a textbook this time of day. She tucked a stray strand of short brown hair behind her ear as she brought a cup of steaming coffee to her lips. _

_Rin squinted, annoyed, as a shadow was cast over the pages in her book making it hard to read the already small print. She looked up, trying not to frown. "May I help you?"_

_Katsuro grinned, a faint trace of a blush on his cheeks. He ran a hand through his hair and boldly took the empty chair across from the woman. "Excuse me, Miss. But I hope you don't find me too forward. But your beauty was just too great to ignore and I had to stop and say 'hello'." _

_Sharp grey eyes studied the handsome man sitting in front of her under lowered lashes._

_She was not impressed._

* * *

"She had to work hard to keep it and was always saying that she didn't have time for men. That's why she turned me down every time I asked her out on a date." Katsuro gave a dry, humourless laugh.

* * *

"_Aw, why won't you go out with me?"_

_The vein in Rin's forehead throbbed. She lost count the amount of times Katsuro asked her that very same question. And her reply was always the same._

"_Because you are not worth my time."_

_Katsuro feigned hurt and gave a little sniff. "You're heartless, Rin."_

_Rin simply rolled her eyes and went back to reading. How this rich idiot was always able to find her, no matter where she went, was a complete mystery._

* * *

"But after weeks of not giving up she finally broke down and gave in. I was the happiest man alive and didn't think twice about spoiling her. It was absolute bliss for the next few months and then one day she broke the news to me: she was pregnant. Rin was ecstatic but I was terrified."

* * *

_Two words had never put so much fear in Katsuro's heart. His mind was so preoccupied with trying to process this new information that he had to remind himself to breathe. He licked his lips which he now realized had gone dry. "A-are you sure?"_

_Rin's grin faltered. "Of course I am, idiot!" she teased._ _Her voice took on an unsure tone when he didn't smile back. "…You're not happy?"_

_Katsuro couldn't find the will power to even lie and the scared look stayed frozen on his face. "I-I have to go," Katsuro said, turning and walking away. "I'll talk to you about this tomorrow." _

_In the back of her mind, Rin knew wouldn't see him again._

* * *

"Don't misunderstand," he added quickly at the sight Minori's shoulders drooping. "I loved your mother dearly. But I wasn't ready for a family, not when I was just starting to build up my business. I thought a child would be nothing more than a distraction. And it wasn't good for my company's image, considering that we weren't married."

Minori grabbed one of the many nearby pillows and buried her face into it. Was he really trying to console her with this story?

"But I realized what a horrible decision that was and I desperately tried to get Rin back. This was months later, after you were born. Takada wouldn't let me anywhere near either of you. That stubborn old bat… not that I blame her. She didn't think very highly of me when I first started dating her daughter and she certainly didn't like me after I deserted Rin. I wouldn't be surprised if she never forgave me."

Minori silently confirmed that. Takada was not a woman who forgave easily.

Katsuro breath came out in a long, miserable sigh and he moved closer to Minori who still hadn't looked up from her pillow.

"I know what I did to you and your mother was absolutely despicable. I'm still paying dearly for the mistakes I've made. What I'm asking you is, please forgive me, Minori. Don't keep pushing me away. I've already lost your mother; I don't want to lose you too."

Minori finally retreated from the comfort of her pillow to look up at Katsuro. Her expression was blank.

"You know, Etsu was right," he suddenly said, studying her face. "You do look like me…"

Minori's eyebrow twitched. She was prepared to chuck her pillow at his head and yell at him to get out and never come back.

"Except for your eyes… you have your mother's eyes. They're beautiful."

Minori's features instantly softened and her grip on the pillow loosened. Her mind was a muddled mess of thoughts and emotions and she wasn't exactly sure how to respond. A part of her wanted to continue hating Katsuro, to curse him until the day she died. Another part inexplicably wanted to forgive him.

She was starting to get a headache…

Minori lied down, facing away from Katsuro, and pulled her sheets all the way up to her chin. Not sure of what else to say, Katsuro stood up and walked to the door. He gave his daughter's huddled figure one last glance before leaving.

As soon as she heard the door close Minori held the picture frame up at eye level. She stared at the photograph of her mother in her hands. "I'm so confused. What should I do?"

Rin just continued to grin.

* * *

Later that evening, as Katsuro and Etsu were at the dinner table, Minori silently walked in. Katsuro's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He wasn't expecting to see her this early after the previous incident. He actually wasn't expecting to see her at all and wouldn't have been surprised if she locked herself up in her room for the next week. But there she was, although she didn't look up to make eye contact with him or Etsu.

She took a seat two chairs away from Katsuro and started placing food on her plate. Out of the corner of his eye Katsuro saw something glinting on her wrist. A closer look revealed it to be the very same bracelet he sent her as a birthday gift not that much long ago. Minori silently ate, making sure to keep her eyes glued to the wall ahead of her.

Katsuro could feel the corners of his mouth lift into a soft smile.


End file.
